My mother at sixty six class 12 MCQs CBSE term 1 exam

MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow. 

(A) I saw my mother beside me,

doze, open-mouthed, her face ashen like that

of a corpse and realized with pain that she was as old as she looked

but soon put that thought away.....

(i) What made the poetess look worried?

(a) She saw her mother dozing, aged and pale.

(b) The poetess was forced to return to her home.

(c) The poetess was late for her flight.

(d) The poetess had forgotten her precious thing at home.

(ii) The poetess was in pain as she realized that

(a) her mother was growing old and might depart in her absence.

(b) her mother was ill.

(c) her mother did not want her to go.

(d) her mother had not eaten anything since morning.

(iii) The expression, face ashen like that of a corpse is an example of

(a) pun. 

(b) simile.

(c) parody. 

(d) irony.

(iv) In the extract, ‘put that thought away.....’ suggests that the

(a) poetess was not willing to think about her mother.

(b) poetess did not wish to think about the fact that her mother was ageing.

(c) poetess was thinking about something else.

(d) poetess was planning for her next surprise visit to her mother.

(B) put that thought away, and

looked out at young

trees sprinting, the merry children spilling

out of their homes, but after the airport's

security check, standing a few yards

away, I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winter’s moon and felt that old

familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,

(i) What docs the expression — put that thought away — suggest?

(a) The poet stopped thinking about it immediately.

(b) The poet tried to dismiss her fears.

(c) The poet shared her thoughts with her mother.

(d) The poet was sick of her thoughts.

(ii) The “young tress” and “merry children” symbolise

(a) life moving towards old age.

(b) nature’s cycle.

(c) the contrast between old age and the exuberance outside.

(d) that life does not stop for anyone.

(iii) The expression “pale as a late winter’s moon” is an example of

(a) metaphor. 

(b) irony. 

(c) paradox. 

(d) simile.

(iv) In the extract, “the old familiar ache” suggests the poet’s

(a) childhood fear of losing her mother.

(b) childhood fear of parting from her mother.

(c) childhood fear of dying.

(d) childhood fear of boarding a flight.

(C) Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last Friday

morning, I saw my mother, beside me,

doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that

of a corpse and realised with pain

that she thought away, and looked but soon

put that thought away, and looked out at Young

Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling

(i) The phrase ‘open mouthed’ means that the poet’s mother

(a) was surprised. 

(b) was shocked.

(c) was sleeping. 

(d) was filled with beauty.

(ii) The expression, ‘and looked out at young trees sprinting,’ shows

(a) the fast speed of the car.

(b) that trees are left behind.

(c) the interest to see the trees passing by.

(d) the rapid change of human’s life from childhood to old age.

(iii) The rhyme scheme of the above extract is

(a) aabb 

(b) abab 

(c) aaab 

(d) free verse

(iv) The literary device used by the poet in the line is ‘Her face ashen like a corpse’ is

(a) personification. 

(b) metaphor. 

(c) simile. 

(d) hyperbole.

(D) I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winter’s moon and felt that old

familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,

but all I said was, see you soon, Amma,

all I did was smile and smile and smile......

(i) What does the statement, ‘all | did was smile and smile and smile...” suggest?

(a) She was trying to hide her sadness through her fake smile.

(b) She liked to spread joy.

(c) She liked to smile at her mother.

(d) It was her way of saying goodbye forever.

(ii) What does the simile, ‘as a late winter's moon’ reflect?

(a) For the poet, her mother is as distant as the moon.

(b) Her mother is cold by nature.

(c) Her mother’s face looks ashy and pale as the winter moon.

(d) Her mother’s face resembled the moon.

(iii) The expression, “...familiar ache, my childhood’s fear” refers to

(a) the fear of losing herself as she grows up.

(b) emotion pain and the fear of losing her mother.

(c) her inability to be with her mother.

(d) the old age, claiming her mother’s youthful days.

(iv) The poetic device used by the poet in the following line is ‘all I did was smile and smile and smile..."

(a) pun. 

(b) metaphor. 

(c) repetition. 

(d) refrain.